just added livestock - water's cloudy now

fatoldsun · 05/21/2011, 03:24 PM

I have a newly cycled 90g with a 40 sump Tank cycled for about a month with established rock and new sand. I had my livestock and additional rock in a 55. Livestock was a small CUC with a couple snails and hermits and a brittle star plus one med yellow tang and one med maroon clown. I added the CUC and the yellow tang yesterday and the clown and brittle star last night. This afternoon the water appears cloudy. not terrible but definitely not as clear as it was. I rechecked everything and it looks like ammonia climbed to 0.1. Nitrare and Nitrite remain 0. Also, phosphate climbed up to .25. Any thoughts? Could it be the 2 fish stirring up the sand bed, the phosphate spike or the slight climb in ammonia? Is 0.1 ammonia dangerous for the live stock? Oh yeah, I also changed my filter sock this morning. It was well rinsed and dried but it was a new felt sock. Could that have done it?

briankmarsh1980 · 05/21/2011, 03:45 PM

I'm going to assume it was the fact you added fish and you are having a mini cycle from there bio load. I would do a water change and add some prime or equivalent. It will take a few days for the tank to get used to the increase.

hollister · 05/21/2011, 03:48 PM

Salt water tanks have a bacteria load and when you added the stock it exceeded the available bacteria in the water.

You need to add larger loads slow (1 fish per week ) to allow the bacteria to increase.

Turn lights out and be sure u have good water flow.
Also do u have a lid on your tank?

briankmarsh1980 · 05/21/2011, 03:49 PM

Is the ammonia .1 or 1.0 ? Any ammonia is bad .25 can kill more sensitive fish .5 you will start to lose fish.

fatoldsun · 05/21/2011, 04:04 PM

Ammonia was/is 0.1

fatoldsun · 05/21/2011, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hollister

Turn lights out and be sure u have good water flow.
Also do u have a lid on your tank?

I have 2 1400 gph powerheads plus a mag 9.5 return. Currently the tank is covered. Is that good or bad? Lights are off but I get a ton of natural light. The room is ALL glass (3 walls and roof/ceiling) so without using a tarp it's getting some natural light

fatoldsun · 05/22/2011, 07:36 PM

Tank was fairly clear this morning and cloudy again tonight. I think my clown is the culprit. She's furiously fanning the sand bed and has burrowed all the way down to the egg crate in "her" corner. I guess that's where the nem will live once things settle and I can add one. Anyway just to check, I tested everything and both ammonia and phosphate dropped to 0.0 and nitrate & nitrite stayed at 0.0. Either way I made up new SW for a change tomorrow. Question is I have 4 more large rocks waiting in the old tank. Will they throw the bio-load out of whack if I add them?
So hopefully I'll get some bio-film b/c clouding up every day until the tank can support a nem to keep her busy.

Geoff_Poz · 05/22/2011, 09:24 PM

More rocks that are cured in another tank will only help. Get them in there. Are you running any carbon? That can help also..

05/21/2011, 03:24 PM	#1
fatoldsun Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 449	just added livestock - water's cloudy now I have a newly cycled 90g with a 40 sump Tank cycled for about a month with established rock and new sand. I had my livestock and additional rock in a 55. Livestock was a small CUC with a couple snails and hermits and a brittle star plus one med yellow tang and one med maroon clown. I added the CUC and the yellow tang yesterday and the clown and brittle star last night. This afternoon the water appears cloudy. not terrible but definitely not as clear as it was. I rechecked everything and it looks like ammonia climbed to 0.1. Nitrare and Nitrite remain 0. Also, phosphate climbed up to .25. Any thoughts? Could it be the 2 fish stirring up the sand bed, the phosphate spike or the slight climb in ammonia? Is 0.1 ammonia dangerous for the live stock? Oh yeah, I also changed my filter sock this morning. It was well rinsed and dried but it was a new felt sock. Could that have done it?

05/21/2011, 03:45 PM	#2
briankmarsh1980 I'm a member of **!!!!!! Join Date: May 2010 Location: Maricopa, Arizona Posts: 2,127	I'm going to assume it was the fact you added fish and you are having a mini cycle from there bio load. I would do a water change and add some prime or equivalent. It will take a few days for the tank to get used to the increase. __________________ My skim don't stink _______________________________________________________________ 210 gallons with stuff!!!!!!!

05/21/2011, 03:49 PM	#4
briankmarsh1980 I'm a member of **!!!!!! Join Date: May 2010 Location: Maricopa, Arizona Posts: 2,127	Is the ammonia .1 or 1.0 ? Any ammonia is bad .25 can kill more sensitive fish .5 you will start to lose fish. __________________ My skim don't stink _______________________________________________________________ 210 gallons with stuff!!!!!!!

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05/21/2011, 03:48 PM	#3
hollister Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 2,037	Salt water tanks have a bacteria load and when you added the stock it exceeded the available bacteria in the water. You need to add larger loads slow (1 fish per week ) to allow the bacteria to increase. Turn lights out and be sure u have good water flow. Also do u have a lid on your tank?

05/21/2011, 04:04 PM	#5
fatoldsun Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 449	Ammonia was/is 0.1

05/22/2011, 07:36 PM	#7
fatoldsun Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 449	Tank was fairly clear this morning and cloudy again tonight. I think my clown is the culprit. She's furiously fanning the sand bed and has burrowed all the way down to the egg crate in "her" corner. I guess that's where the nem will live once things settle and I can add one. Anyway just to check, I tested everything and both ammonia and phosphate dropped to 0.0 and nitrate & nitrite stayed at 0.0. Either way I made up new SW for a change tomorrow. Question is I have 4 more large rocks waiting in the old tank. Will they throw the bio-load out of whack if I add them? So hopefully I'll get some bio-film b/c clouding up every day until the tank can support a nem to keep her busy.

05/22/2011, 09:24 PM	#8
Geoff_Poz Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Rochester, NY / Ogden Posts: 101	More rocks that are cured in another tank will only help. Get them in there. Are you running any carbon? That can help also..